Sporting world battles surging Covid cases

The coronavirus is once again disrupting global sport, forcing the cancellation of English Premier League matches and the scrapping of a one-day cricket series.

Aston Villa's Premier League game at home to Burnley on Saturday has been postponed due to more COVID-19 cases in the Villa squad, the league announced about two hours before kickoff.

Six of the 11 Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend are off. The clubs are due to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis, with differences emerging over whether to temporarily halt the season as a firebreaker for infections or to carry on.

Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic has expressed his fear that the already-delayed Africa Cup of Nations, due to kick off in Cameroon next month, could be called off due to the renewed threat of Covid-19 and the possibility that European clubs might not release players for the tournament.

Real Madrid have reported a number of positive tests, with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric among the players affected. Under Liga protocols, a club must have at least 13 players, at least five of them first-teamers and one a goalkeeper, available to play a match. The club also reported cases in its basketball team.

 Covid has forced the cancellation of the one-day series between Pakistan and the West Indies.  Australia captain Pat Cummins was forced to sit out the second Ashes Test after being in close contact with somebody who tested positive for Covid-19. The Indian cricket team arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday and headed straight for their bio-secure base at the start of a curtailed South Africa tour. India will play three Tests and three one-day internationals despite a surge in coronavirus cases in South Africa, but four planned T20 internationals have been dropped from the original schedule.

European rugby chiefs have postponed seven matches in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions between UK and French sides due to strict coronavirus travel rules. Three matches had already been cancelled due to Covid outbreaks.

The National Football League on Friday postponed three weekend games amid a Covid-19 surge that has "seen a substantial increase in cases across the league."

The NBA has boosted its coronavirus measures after a surge in cases. The new measures will include more testing and mask wearing for players and staff, according to reports. Increased daily testing will begin December 26 and last two weeks. The National Hockey League said Friday it was postponing a game Saturday between the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens in Montreal because of Covid-19 concerns.